Are carryover CLE credits allowed in Texas?

Texas attorneys must complete 15 CLE credit hours each MCLE compliance year, including 3 hours in legal ethics.

The “compliance year” is determined by your birth month (for those licensed two or more years), or a 24-month initial period for newly licensed attorneys.

Details

• Accredited CLE: At least 12 out of the 15 hours must be from MCLE-approved activities.

• Ethics requirement: At least 3 hours must address ethics or professional responsibility, and up to 1 of those may be self-study.

• Self-study cap: A maximum of 3 hours per year may be earned via self-study (including 1 hour ethics).

• Carryover: Excess CLE credits (up to 15) may be carried forward to the next compliance year (including ethics).

• Newly licensed attorneys: Their first compliance period spans 24 months (rather than 12) and all CLE credits must comply with the same requirements.

Key Takeaway: Texas requires 15 CLE hours per year—3 in ethics—with accreditation and self-study limits, carryover allowed up to 15 hours, and a 24-month first cycle for new admittees.

The CLE reporting deadline in Texas is the last day of the attorney’s birth month.

Texas attorneys must complete and submit their required CLE hours by that date to avoid noncompliance penalties.

Texas MCLE Deadline & Reporting Rules

• Compliance Year: Runs from the first day of your birth month to the last day of the preceding month the next year (initial term for new attorneys is 24 months).
• Reporting Deadline: All CLE hours must be received by the MCLE Director by the last day of your birth month.
• Grace Period: Attorneys have automatic grace until the end of their birth month to finish and report CLE.
• New Attorneys: Initial compliance year may cover 24 months before aligning with the birth-month cycle.

Key Takeaway: In Texas, your CLE must be completed and reported by the last day of your birth month each compliance cycle.

Yes — Texas attorneys can report CLE credits online through “My Bar Page” via the State Bar of Texas’s MCLE reporting tools.

CLE activity sponsors also report attendance electronically, but you may self-report missing credits via approved online means.

Details:

• Log into your “My Bar Page” account and select “View/Report MCLE Hours” to submit or correct credits.
• If your CLE sponsor fails to report an activity, you may report it yourself using the MCLE Internet reporting site or by using a printed “Credit Input Form.”
• The MCLE rules stipulate that sponsors must report attendance by Internet, electronic file transfer, or other approved means.
• The Annual Verification Report is sent before your birth month, and you should review and correct your MCLE record in My Bar Page.
• Credits must be reported by the last day of your birth month to avoid noncompliance penalties.

Key Takeaway
You can submit and correct CLE credits online in Texas via My Bar Page, but sponsors also bear the responsibility to report; self-reporting is limited to cases where the sponsor does not report.

No — Texas does not require CLE to be in person. Attorneys may satisfy their CLE obligation through live webcasts or recorded programs, subject to the state’s self-study rules.

Texas CLE Rules & Format Options

• Total requirement: 15 hours per compliance year.
• Ethics requirement: 3 of the 15 hours must be in ethics/professional responsibility.
• Self-study limit: Up to 3 hours may be self-study (reading, podcasts, MP3s, etc.).
• Accredited CLE formats: Includes in-person seminars, live webcasts, previously recorded versions of live programs, downloadable recordings, and self-study materials.

Key Takeaway: In Texas, there is no requirement for in-person attendance — attorneys may use live webcasts or approved recorded/self-study formats to satisfy most or all of their CLE obligation, with the only format restriction being that only up to 3 hours may be self-study.

You report CLE (MCLE) credits in Texas by logging into your “My Bar Page” and submitting any non-reported credits via the Credit Input Form before your reporting deadline (the last day of your birth month).
Sponsors of accredited CLE activities are required to submit attendance to the MCLE Director, but you must verify your record and supply missing credits if needed.

Overview of Texas MCLE Reporting

• Attorneys must complete 15 CLE hours per compliance year, including 3 hours in Professional Responsibility/Ethics.
• The compliance year begins on the first day of your birth month and ends the day before your next birth month.
• CLE sponsors must submit attendance to the MCLE Department within deadlines, but the individual reporting deadline is yours alone.
• If a sponsor fails to report your credit, you may enter it via the Credit Input Form (available on your My Bar Page).
• Credits submitted after your birth-month deadline may incur noncompliance fees or subject you to disciplinary action.

Steps to Report CLE in Texas

1. Complete your 15 CLE hours (with 3 in ethics) within your compliance year (birth month to next birth month).
2. Retain all course certificates, agendas, provider names, and documentation.
3. Check your MCLE record on your My Bar Page to ensure attendance submissions are posted.
4. If credits are missing, submit them via the Credit Input Form (online) before your reporting deadline (last day of your birth month).
5. Pay any noncompliance or late fees if you report after your deadline.
6. If you earned credits through Sprout Education, confirm our attendance report was submitted on your behalf (where permitted) and include any missing credits in your input form.

Key Takeaway: In Texas, CLE reporting is done through your Bar portal—sponsors report your attendance automatically, but you must verify your record and submit any missing hours via the Credit Input Form by the last day of your birth month.

You can begin having your CLE credits reported in Texas as soon as your provider submits them or you (if applicable) submit them yourself. Providers often submit credit to the State Bar of Texas, which must receive all CLE hours by the last day of your birth month.

But you cannot formally “certify” your compliance until the end of your MCLE compliance year (which ends on the last day of the month preceding your birth month). That month is also your reporting deadline.

Key Details

• Texas attorneys must complete 15 CLE hours each compliance year, including 3 hours in legal ethics or professional responsibility.
• The compliance period runs from the first day of your birth month to the last day of the month preceding your next birth month.
• All CLE hours must be received by the State Bar (via provider or self-report) by your reporting deadline, which is the last day of your birth month.
• You may manually report credits (for example, for self-study or out-of-state courses) using the Bar’s “Credit Input Form” via MyBarPage.
• If a provider’s reporting is delayed and your deadline is near, you should either request expedited reporting or self-report remaining credits to ensure your records are accurate in time.

Key Takeaway
In Texas, CLE credits begin being reported as soon as they are submitted (by providers or attorneys), but your formal compliance certification is only due at the end of your birth-month based cycle.